Why Editor and Carolina from Blogger on Pole talk self-publishing, sexual assault, nhs and how a young woman can fight it all

emigraine

Emigraine is a collection of short stories about immigration in London. Join Phonzo as he awkwardly tries to make his way in a city of possibilities, but ends up finding disappointment and other lost souls in crowded bars, odd jobs and dirty streets of London.

After taking on unpaid jobs and an expensive course to be more qualified, Phonzo still can’t find a good profession. He makes a decision to move to Londinium - a place where everyone goes to make their dreams come true

My mind wanders in London; the streets overflowing with energy, the bars always rammed, the ashtrays always full from past conversations over a lazy cigarette. This complex city distracts and motivates me at the same time, which is a confusing feeling to process.

At that moment I decided – fuck it! I will live according to this, I’ll keep studying to get my masters degree as good as I can, I’ll try finding a job that I want and I’ll try to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, but I won’t occupy my mind with all the “I could do better”, “my brother at my age had achieved this” and “my friends have accomplished that”, because there’s simply no point.

She told me about how she had failed her studies one too many times, how her plans for the future were practically non-existent, and all that she felt burdened with. I glanced around the room at the peers I was so proud of, at the people I thought had accomplished such great things, and they all wore the same expression: regret.